Saturday, February 11, 2012

Slightly Greenish Thumb: Fittonia

AKA...Nerve plant, Mosaic plant, Silver net plant, Lace leaf, Painted net leaf, and Snakeskin plant. This is a low light, worry free plant, just the way I like it. All you need to do is remember to water it, which inst hard cause the leaves will get all wilted, but will perk right back up with a little H2O.  I love the look of this thing, with its bright green and pink leaves. Another cool thing about this plant it that it is also pest free! and you can find them cheap at any place with a gardening section, this one I got from Wally World for a dollars (I had too...I seen it there with no light and water all sad looking and I had to bring it home to nurse it back to health, I also got a silver veined one but that one didn't make it)

Thrift Store Score: Owl Planter

At the same place where I found those wooden deer, I also came across this adorable owl planter for a dollar. It was ugly, but I knew I could hook it up. Originally, it looked like it was horribly painted with a terracotta slip, so I decided to paint it with a Chinese red enamel paint, to give it the high gloss, glazed pottery look.









It turned out BEAUTIFUL. I don't know the age of it, probably 70's, on the bottom it says "japan" and the closest resemblance to anything I came across was this, tho the wings are different and mine has ears, so I am thinking mine is a replica of that original design. Ironically that one is white on terracotta and mine was the opposite.

Thrift Store Score: Grazing Fawns

While at the local Friends of the Library Book Sale, I noticed an open air flea market had set up across the street. Looking like a bunch of shit from where I was standing, I decide to go check it out anyway. Thankfully I did.... Behold the cutest hand carved wooden deer EVER!!!
They need some work however. I plan on cleaning them up sanding them down and re-staining them. They have some scratches and nicks and one has paint and candle wax dripped down its butt and side. Their antlers are also broken off, but I think I can find something to replace them with, even if its just twigs. I can't tell what were originally there but it seems like some sort of bone or antler.
These two buddies are huge too, measuring in at about 15" high and 7" across. I have no idea how old they are or where they came from, I have never seen anything like them before. However the way they are painted and the designs carved in them they seem like the may be from India or surrounding areas....the closet thing to them I found were these hailing from a seller in the UK, and like mine, it is also missing its horns. I got these both for a dollar (after complaining they were missing their horns).